This past Sunday, some of the most well-known faces in Hollywood graced the red carpet for the 74th annual Emmys. Hosted by SNL’s Keenan Thompson, it was definitely a night to remember. In addition to the iconic host, the list of presenters ranged from writer/producer Mindy Kaling to famed singer Kelly Clarkson. Some of the award show’s greatest standouts included “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and “Abbott Elementary” as both the shows and their actors received over five Emmy nominations!

An endless amount of shows made up the nominee list under categories such as Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Variety Talk Series and many more. However, fans predicted “Outstanding Drama Series” to be the most cutthroat one. This category held fan favorites such as “Euphoria,” “Squid Game” and “Stranger Things,” all of which received instant acclaim from viewers when they premiered. It’s no secret that all of these shows have incredibly dedicated fan bases, and with the amount of social media attention their nominations received, the supporters were even more competitive than the actors themselves.

At the end of the night, the wins were well deserved. Lee Jung-jae received the Emmy for Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series for “Squid Game,” Jesse Armstrong won Best Writing for a Drama Series for “Succession,” and Hwang Dong-hkyu won Best Directing for a Drama Series for “Squid Game”. But you can’t forget about all of the leading ladies. Amanda Seifred won Best Actress in a Limited Series for “The Dropout,” Sheryl Lee Ralph won Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy for “Abbot Elementary” and Zendaya won Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for “Euphoria.”

The 74th Emmys stretched beyond personal victories for the fellow actors and actresses. It was also a collective win for diversity. Sheryl Lee Ralph made history as she became the second black winner for Best Supporting Actress in a drama series. Similarly, Quinta Brunson became the first black woman to receive three comedy nominations. However, Zendaya had the biggest victory of the night, becoming not only the youngest but also the first black woman to win an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. This was the second consecutive Emmy for Zendaya and a large step forward in diversifying the acting industry.

The 2022 Emmy awards celebrated the shows and actors that dominated popular culture this year, setting new records and making history in the process.